Endpoint
by Chris7221
Summary: One century after the defeat of the Dark Lord, wizardry is dying. As their numbers dwindle and their powers diminish, the rest of humanity reaches for the stars. Soon it will be as if magic never existed. One wizard takes it upon himself to break the masquerade and save their legacy. And one journalist is in for the shock of his life.
1. Chapter 1

It struck me before, and now more so after I read HPMOR, that the wizarding abilities will eventually be outpaced by Muggle technology, some things faster than others. It occurred to me even earlier that the wizard population is small to begin with, and if we assume the magical wizard gene is recessive, then they will either become heavily inbred or they will slowly lose their power (or both). It is clear to me now that my knowledge of both subjects is fuzzy and I am quite sleepy, but (in the words of the great Peter Chimaera) I decide to write anyway.

Technically speaking, it's a crossover with my original verse, though it will not be canon within it, but it's the second or third work written within it and the world is nowhere near fully developed, so it might as well be pure Harry Potter.

* * *

**UCT:3805855200  
(August 8, 2090)**

**CSV _Pobedy_**

For what seemed like the thousandth time, Andrew Hunt's eyes flicked to the time readout displayed by his smart glasses. Still UCT:3805855200 or L:0401 depending on which format you preferred. Personally, he preferred the old school format, as it seemed more natural. Unfortunately, since it changed every time you went from ship to ship or ship to station or two sufficiently distanced locations on one planet, it was nearly useless in the grand scheme of things, something he as a journalist couldn't afford.

So, like the other six or so billion people living in a civilized place, he simply learned to live with it. Only backers kept natural schedules anymore.

Absentmindedly, his attention wandered to the view through the cafeteria windows. For someone born even a half century earlier, it would have been incredible. The surface of Jupiter appeared to take up the entire window, rapidly shifting as the _Pobedy_ accelerated to escape velocity. If one squinted, they could almost make out some of the Jovian moons.

But Andrew paid it no heed, since it had become routine to him. It wasn't his first spaceflight, nor his first jump flight, nor his first flypast of Jupiter. He simply sat at a two-person table on the opposite end of the compartment from the window and sipped on a pouch of Coke.

It was somewhat surprising, then, when the man he was scheduled to meet walked in appearing awestruck, and simply stopped in front of the door, staring. Andrew didn't want to offend the man whether he was the right man or a case of mistaken identity (he didn't have a good view of his face), so he simply waited.

After a moment, the man walked over and took the seat opposite the journalist, allowing him a good view of his face. He appeared to be in his twenties, maybe thirties, though it was difficult to tell in this day and age. He looked tired, with visible stubble, creases, and an explicable look of weariness, contrasting his sparkling, awe-filled eyes, not covered by glasses smart or dumb. And there was just something odd about the way he dressed.

"You're Johnathan Edwards, is correct?" Andrew asked casually. He nodded slowly. "Andrew Hunt. First jump trip?"

"First time I've been off of Earth," he replied with another nod, this one faster. "Space travel is quite a new experience for me, I'm afraid."

"It indeed is, Misr Edwards." While it was uncommon for an adult of his age to have not experienced age travel, it wasn't unheard of by any means, or even particularly rare. What was odd was his strong English accent, and his almost archaic mode of speech. Maybe he was a professor in a prestigious university, or a member of the upper class, though his demeanour and mode of dress was contrary to the latter. "What you do for a job?"

"I'm afraid that's rather difficult to explain without explaining everything else first." He paused. "And please, simply John is fine."

"Alright, John. You told what you have is large, so I'm all listening. Objections to me recording this?"

"No, in fact it is critically important that you do."

"Glass, record," A red dot and a few readouts appeared in his vision. "Terms?"

"I don't understand."

That puzzled Andrew for a moment, but he replied automatically. "Terms, you know, terms of release for the video I'm recording. Reviewable, restricted published, unrestricted published?"

"Uh... released to the world, all of it, anyone may see it. I believe that would be unrestricted."

"Correct." That definitely interested Andrew. If this man wanted himself released to the world, that meant he had something he really wanted to say. It was probably of a political or philosophical nature- and it was sure to gain some attention.

Or he was just making an elaborate lie, a high tale, a stunt to gain publicity, fame, infamy, or at least some recognition. It had happened before, even to him.

He asked conversationally, "You never told me what kind of story you wanted to tell, only that it was something that could make me famous- if you pardon my wording- and that it could redivert the course of history. Excuse me if I find that a massively bold claim."

"It is an incredible tale, and I only ask that you hear me out completely before drawing any conclusions," John explained.

"I'm all ears."

John took a deep breath, exhaled, then removed a comically old-fashioned can of _something_ from his jacket pocket. He popped it open with a loud hiss and took a sip. "There is an entire world, a secret world, you do not know about. Not in a literal sense, at least not always, but in a figurative sense, like a ring of organized crime, or a dark project. Except it is- or at least was- far more broad, profound, and powerful. A world completely different in appearance, attitude, perception, perspective on reality-"

He stopped and took another sip. "Forgive me, I have trouble with finding the correct words to describe what I am attempting to describe."

"Take your time."

"It is- imagine a world invisible to yours, at times completely outside your perception of reality and at times hidden in plain site. It is filled with people, people very different from you, some so far removed that it would seem as if they were from another planet. It is a world where strange creatures roam and the natural laws of the universe do not apply."

"Exactly are you talking about?"

"Magic."


	2. Chapter 2

"Magic," Andrew echoed, chewing the word. "Forgive if I'm less than excessively skeptical."

"In your position I would feel much the same way," John replied, taking another sip. "Indeed you Muggles have made it far easier to cover up our existence in recent times, with your skepticism."

"Also forgive me if I fail at grasp the significance."

"Oh, definitely, it's not something that's easy to explain. The Second Wizarding War alone would take at least seven volumes to explain. But I shall endeavour to give you the best overview I can, and I shall start at the beginning. If you have questions, feel free to interrupt."

"Noted. Continue."

"The world of wizardry dates back to ancient times, long before written history. Legends and folklore tell of the great city of Atlantis, of the grand wizard Merlin. Philosophers and historians have given their entire lives to the study of our history, and yet it is still shrouded in mystery.

"Once upon a time, wizards and Muggles- our term for those without magic- lived in relative harmony. Wizards practiced their magic openly and were held in high esteem. Slowly but surely, however, distrust and hatred grew. If our history is correct, it is around the year 1000 when our societies began to separate-"

"Excuse me, is that 1000 CE or 1000 BCE?" 

"Ah, _anno domini_- so AD or CE."

"Right, so about negative... hold on. Glass, convert date: 1000 CE to universal coordinated time... negative 30612967200 in universal. Whoa, that is lot of numbers." He motioned to the wizard. "Continue."

"Right, so our existence was threatened- quickly Muggles began witch-hunts, burnings, brutal attacks on any wizard or anyone thought to be associated with wizards. It continued for hundreds of years- as you probably know- and we went into hiding. We built our own world, hidden from yours."

"How did you do that?"

"Simple spells- well, relatively simple. Confusing and erasing the memory of Muggles. Charms that cause Muggles to turn away, though one who is aware or has strong enough willpower can resist. Charms that cause buildings to disappear, from maps and from reality. Unplottable, it's called. Please remember what I just said- it will become important and I will return to this thought later.

"It was in the seventeenth century- I know this date system seems old-fashioned to you but understand that the magical world is always behind in certain things- when the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was passed. It was now our _responsibility_ to cut ourselves off. Again, please remember this for I will return to it."

"I still do not understand what end your are proceeding."

"Patience, please. In each country, a Ministry of Magic was founded-"

"Every country?"

"_Nearly_ every country. It is the Ministry's responsibility to ensure that the wizarding world is hidden and remains hidden. This includes wizarding locations and all magical creatures within the sphere of influence. Should anything be revealed accidentally or otherwise, it is their responsibility to cover it up."

"No secret can be kept forever."

"Indeed. The twentieth century was a tumultuous time for the wizarding world and to one who knows that chapter of our history my story will make far more sense. I will endeavour to keep this as short as possible, but it was an eventful time."

"I'm all ear."

"In the late nineteenth century, two of the greatest wizards ever born were born- excuse my awkward turn of phrase. Those two men were Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, and together they quested to find the Deathly Hallows, items that would grant immortality- or so the legends claimed. However, they had a fundamental difference- Grindelwald was Dark, evil, a vile creature."

"That's somewhat harsh. Good and evil is subjective."

"It is not!" John spat, the can crumpling slightly in his hand. He took a deep breath and continued. "Over the years, Gellert Grindelwald raised an army and took over Europe, leaving a path of terror in his wake. All in the name of the greater good, supposedly- we know he wished to rule all Muggles, and all wizards as well. He feared Dumbledore, and left Britain alone, but Dumbledore knew he could not challenge Grindelwald, so did nothing to stop him. Finally, in 1945, Dumbledore challenged the weakened Grindelwald and won, imprisoning him in a prison of his own design."

"Why was he weakened?"

"Make a guess. The year was 1945."

"The end of World War Two... oh... but I still amn't seeing it."

"Like a few other dark wizards, Grindelwald was empowered by human sacrifice. Though the records have been largely destroyed, it can be surmised that he worked with Muggles to this end. Some time before the beginning of your war he made contact with a man by the name of Heinrich."

"Heinrich Himmler. He was working with the Nazis. The fucking Nazis." Andrew took a deep breath. "And the Holocaust, Jesus fucking Christ."

"Indeed. Ironically, the strongest evidence is a photo of the two together, Muggle and wizard, strange I know, taken by one of your agents whose name I cannot pronounce. Fortunately, your Office of Secret Actions did more to cover it up than we ever could. If one knows the context it is proof the Nazis _were_ involved with what you would consider the occult-"

"It's ironic, isn't it?" Andrew interrupted. "Good wizards and good Muggles isolated themselves, even tried to kill each other. But evil and evil would work together."

John raised an eyebrow. "Did you not say you did not believe in good and evil?"

"I did, but I felt simplification would be superior."

The wizard shrugged. "In any case, for all his horror Grindelwald would not be the last. After him, Lord Voldemort came into being, ruthless in his quest for power and immortality. Many were killed by his hand, until one time he could not. When he tried to kill baby Harry Potter, his Killing Curse rebounded and killed him instead."

"Let me guess, he came back?"

"He did indeed. Through varying means the Dark Lord rendered himself partially immortal, and swept Britain in another wave of terror. He killed Dumbledore and a great many other powerful witches and wizards before Harry Potter killed him once again, this time for good."

"Well that's a poetic book end, isn't it?"

"Yes." He said, remaining quiet.

"Notice you've told me a huge lot about what has happened. What about what can you do?" Andrew asked, eager to get more information out of the man.

"The capabilities of wizards, you mean?" He barked a sharp laugh. "I fear they will seem ludicrous and arbitrary to someone like yourself."

"Do tell."

"Fundamentally, we are not constrained by what you consider laws of the physical universe-"

"So have we- the ship we're on right now can exceed _c_-"

"Magic does not merely _skirt_ or _circumvent_ the laws of physics, it outright _ignores_ them. Conservation of energy, conservation of mass, Newton's laws, in our world they _do not exist_."

"But that's impossible!"

"Do not demonstrate your ignorance. Did you not once consider flight impossible? Exceeding the speed of sound? Exceeding the lightspeed barrier?"

"Those specific accomplishments, not fundamental knowledge of the how the universe works!"

"And what about the time before Newton, when you knew that gravity did not exist? The time before Einstein, when you knew that time was always constant?"

"Those are examples of _not_ knowing fundamental laws, not _knowing_ fundamental laws that are actually _false_!"

John sighed. "Clearly it is fruitless to argue, so I will not. I will merely outline our capabilities."

"I understand."

"A wizard can Apparate, or instantly move from one place to another. They can cast charms, wards, and curses on objects to varying effects- I know that is being vague but there are more than I can describe. There are spells to wipe memory, spells to injure, spells to heal, spells to destroy and spells to kill. It is possible to conjure and to transform, and to brew potions with a great variety of effects. Some can even predict the future through signs and visions."

"Are there limits?"

"Some. What a wizard can cast and how powerful his spells will be varies from person to person. Dumbledore was very powerful- I am not even a fraction of him. There are a few laws and principles- food cannot be created from scratch, the dead cannot be raised, alchemical properties mix, et cetera et cetera.

"Also, for most magic all but the most powerful of us need a wand. A magic wand is typically made of a strong wood with a core of magical material, such as a phoenix feather or unicorn hair."

"Right, so you need a wand and there's great variances in individual power." John nodded, and Andrew asked, "There's still one thing I would like to have know."

"What would that be?"

"Now? What's changed? It seems that after the large wizard war all the things would have returned to equilibrium."

In response, the wizard nodded gravely. "And that is precisely the problem. For all that has happened, we have _not_ changed."


	3. Chapter 3

ChocolateTeapot: The journalist is as foolish about magic as a wizard would be foolish about technology, if that makes any sense at all.

Hawa DL: Yeah, guess I fail at futurespeak.

The question at the end of the chapter is directed as much at the reader out of universe as it is at the reporter in universe. Call it leaning on the fourth wall.

* * *

"By what you mean?" Andrew asked, though he already had an idea of what the wizard was talking about.

John took a sip from the can, then took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Today we sit together on a starship capable of exceeding the speed of light. You are recording me with a computer built into your eyeglasses. A century prior, the former would be considered impossible and the latter would be but an experiment. Muggle technology is always changing, always advancing.

"By contrast, magic today is very much the same as it was a hundred years ago, and a hundred years before that. No new principles have been discovered, only a handful of new spells discovered, and only a few new potions brewed. For the most part, our capabilities remain exactly the same."

"You say before that magical strength is equates to personal strength?"

John nodded. "Yes, in fact, I was just getting to that. I think that is the fundamental difference between wizard magic and Muggle technology. A powerful spell requires a powerful wizard to cast- such wizards are rare, and their strength does not increase with each generation. Technology, on the other hand, requires skill, but not necessarily a talent or gift, to work, and each generation can build on the last."

"So you're saying what Muggles have become stronger and wizards have stagnated?"

"Precisely. If anything we have become weaker. The last great wizard was Harry Potter, and he was not very powerful in a conventional sense- he was peculiar in ways that allowed him to beat Voldemort. The last _truly_ great wizard, in my opinion and that of many others, was Dumbledore. Since then no wizard or witch has been able to approach his level of power. Perhaps the pureblood families were right after all."

"Purebloods?"

"Those that do not believe in mixing wizard blood with Muggle blood. Yes, it happens, and more often than you would think. Occasionally there is even a wizard born from a Muggle couple, though all have a magical ancestor somewhere. Blood purists insist that doing so weakens our magic, even producing Squibs- those born of wizard parents with no magic- and insist on the purity of their ancestors."

"Correlation doesn't equal causation," Andrew warned, then shrugged. "In this case but it is very possible."

"Why do you say that?"

"Do you understand the concept genetics?"

"Only barely, I'm afraid."

"The magical trait or gene or whatnot is probably recessive," Andrew explained. "Alice and Bob are both wizards, with two copies each of the gene. They have children, all are magic. Charlie has one copy of the magic gene. If Alice and Charlie have children, they'll probably still be magical- if they receive both copies from Alice or one from Alice and one from Charlie.

Denise is not magical at all- no copies of the gene. If she goes with Bob, their children are almost certainly not going to be magical. If she goes with Charlie, they will not be magical, none of them, but if one of their children has one copy of the gene, and ends up with one of Alice and Bob's magical children or a not-magical carrier from Alice and Charlie, their child could be magical. I think that's how it works- I'm not biologist and I think I've missed some very important."

"Interesting," John mused. "If you are correct it would be very bad indeed."

"Why?"

"We may not be familiar with the concept of genetics, but we do have a basic understanding of heredity," the wizard explained. "We have witnessed some of the twisted results of inbreeding, and that is why blood purism has faded away. After two wizarding wars and the aftermath thereof, our population was decimated. For some, the choice was to marry a relative or marry a Muggle."

"Ask I may what your population is?"

"In the tens of thousands. It has always been small, and recent events have only made it smaller. I estimate that at our peak the wizarding population never exceeded a million."

Andrew shrugged. "Still a viable genetic base, given optimal conditions."

"Given optimal conditions," John echoed. "Conditions are far from optimal. The degradation we spoke of is making many families paranoid. Of course, the vast majority of wizards do not know the first thing about genetics, so often the decisions made are precisely the opposite of what is necessary."

He paused. "Yes, it is a problem, but not our largest one. Our thinking is still stuck in the past, in some ways _centuries_ in the past. And despite all the obvious and tangible advantages, the magical community staunchly refuses to emulate Muggle thinking until it is already out of date.

"We are stubborn, Andrew, very stubborn. The darker wizard thinks of Muggles as beings slightly above animals, ones to ignore when possible and use if convenient. The general attitude of the wizarding world is that magic is absolutely superior, magical people are absolutely superior, and that Muggles are an inferior form of life."

"Itisn't a unfounded method of thought, given the history."

"Perhaps so, but it has held us back and will ultimately lead to our demise. We have already fallen behind, as you know. Centuries of stagnation, _centuries_. Our society is the same, our magic is the same, we are the same. We are doomed to repeat history and we are doomed to remain ensconced in a world that shrinks every day. The average wizard had not even heard of the scientific method!

"And as you strike out across the stars, we remain earthbound. Do you know that interstellar travel is a taboo? Most of us regard the massive machines you have built as suicidal deathtraps, and the stars themselves as sacred objects not to be trifled with. All false assumptions, but all that will leave us behind. We have no presence outside of Earth. The number of wizards who have been to space I can count on one hand."

Accentuating every syllable, he finished, "We have stopped advancing. We are outdated and outmoded. We are relics of the past."

"You need our help, don't you?" Andrew asked quietly.

Once again, John exhaled deeply. "It is that simple and yet infinitely more complex, but fundamenally, yes. We must cooperate with Muggles, we must reveal ourselves to Muggles and we must endeavour to preserve magic, and if that is not possible, preserve our legacy."

The reporter coughed and wiped his forehead. "I sorry, but you have to must understood, this is a very muddled pic I'm getting. It is a massive to take in."

"Of course. I do not expect you to absorb everything immediately. Do you have any specific questions?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Of course. I do not expect you to absorb everything immediately. Do you have any specific questions?"

Andrew nodded. "Yes. You mentioned recent events reduced your population even further."

"Not a question, exactly, but I shall answer. Yes. You experimented with pocket dimensions during your initial research into subspace- nothing practical came of it, if I am not mistaken. But it had very grave consequences for the magical community. You see, those pocket dimensions you theorized about actually existed, and your techniques for acting upon them did indeed work. Beauxbatons was destroyed within seconds of the LQC powering up- that was a school full of children. It was not the first and it was not the last."

"Dear... we didn't know."

"Nor could you have. Some wizards wanted to start an open war. Instead, we did the opposite. We dug deeper, but it instilled a sense of fear we had not felt in centuries. The Muggles could hurt _us_."

"What happens to Muggleborns on other worlds?"

The wizard shrugged. "I suppose their powers are never developed, and any anomalies are explained in other ways."

"What about magical wildlife?"

"You have already dealt with much of it, without even trying, and I suspect you will have no trouble with the rest."

"Where do we go from here?"

"Wherever you wish."

"Why didn't do it yourself?" John merely shrugged.

He could tell the wizard was getting impatient. "One final question. Why are you the only one? What the rest of the wizard world doing?"

"To borrow a Muggle expression, the powers that be have their heads shove so far up their arses that they can see daylight. Most either do not know that there is a problem or do not realize its severity. Some do not care. A few realize that it exists, but think they cannot act on it. It only takes one, however, to blow the whole thing wide open."

"Glass, stop recording." Andrew said.

"Now, if that is all, I shall give you some advice," John said, leaning forward. "The greater wizarding community will try to erase the knowledge I have given you. They will find you and wipe your mind, wipe all traces of what I have done, and I do not wish that to happen, unless you take steps against it."

"What kind of step?"

"I would not recommend returning to Earth. There are very few, if any, wizards that have left the planet, and of those I would say nearly all of them could not care less about the affairs of earthbound wizardry. The further out you are, the safer you are. Some daring Ministry might try to catch you on Jump One, but they will not try to catch you on Eridanus."

"That's pretty fucking dramatic."

"If you do not wish to do so, at least make sure the data is safe. Have a contingency plan. Something a wizard would not think of, something simple like a safety deposit box or complex like a... well, I am not good with complexity. Or put the data out in such a way that the wizard community cannot hope to remove it- even planting a wave should do."

"Mister Edwards- John- this hasbeen very interesting of a story," Andrew said earnestly, standing up. "All that has been said and done, it is almost probably just that- a fiction work. You have not

"I have not," John replied, also standing. "Nor do I intend to. But I do advise you take into consideration what I have told you."

He snapped his fingers, and vanished in a sparkly puff of smoke.


End file.
